Display package blank forming machine



Oct. 7, 1969 w, CRANE, JR 3,470,794

DISPLAY PACKAGE BLANK FORMING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1967 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor William B. CrczrzegJr By his Azt orrzey Oct. 7, 1969 w. a. CRANE. JR

msmv moms BLANK FORMING MACHINE Filed March 15. 19s? 4 Sheets-Sheet Oct. 7, 1969 w. B. CRANE, JR 3,470,794

DISPLAY PACKAGE BLANK FORMING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 7, 1969 w. a. CRANE. JR

DISPLAY PACKAGE BLANK FORMING MACHINE Filed March 15. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O 3,470,794 DISPLAY PACKAGE BLANK FORMING MACHINE William B. Crane, Jr., 340 E. 57th St, New York, N.Y. 10022 Filed Mar. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 623,279 Int. Cl. B311. 1/24, 7/00 US. Cl. 931 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A package blank forming machine having fingers which project loops of a web of film through openings in a series of blanks. The fingers feed the blanks after projecting the loops. Heaters adjacent the fingers bond the film web to the blanks between openings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a machine for forming display package blanks having a loop of film passing through an opening in the blank and adapted to encircle partially and hold an article against one face of the blank.

Description of the prior art US. Patent No. 3,286,835 granted Nov. 22, 1966 in the name of the present inventor, discloses a display package having an open ended loop of shrinkable film extending through an opening in a blank. The film is looped at the front face of the blank, passes through the opening, and is secured to the back face at opposite sides of the opening. To complete the package an article is inserted in the loop which is then shrunk to grip and hold the article tightly against the blank. This patent also schematically describes an apparatus and a method for forming the blank by projecting a film loop through the opening in the blank by a reciprocating bar. The apparatus of the present invention, however, provides substantial improvements over that disclosed schematically in the patent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for efficiently producing the above package blanks. To this end, the apparatus is provided with means for guiding a series of blanks having openings therein along a defined path. Two fingers are arranged to be moved alternately and in opposite directions through the openings in the blank to project loops of film through the openings. The fingers are adjustable to vary the size of the loops formed and are reciprocated along the path of the blanks to feed the blanks after the loops are formed.

According to one feature of the invention, the film extending between the blank openings is bonded to one face of the blank. To accomplish this, heated pads are provided adjacent each finger to press the film against the blank which is supported on the opposite face by a support member.

According to a further feature, each finger sequentially remains in the opening of the blank after feeding while the other finger forms the next loop in the succeeding blank. In this manner the finger together with the pad associated therewith act in cooperation with the blank support to prevent displacement of each loop while the next loop is formed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention together with novel details of construction and combinations of parts will be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an illustrative machine embodying the present invention.

3,470,794 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a package blank formed on the machine.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a completed package using the blank of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section on line IV--IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the machine.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, partially broken away, illustrating the progressive formation of a series of blanks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS There is disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,286,835 a new package which is extremely simple and which lends itself to modern, high speed, automated packaging procedures. As disclosed in said patent and particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3 hereof, the package is provided with an article embracing loop 2 of heat shrinkable film which extends through an opening 4 in a blank 6. The film is secured to the back face of the blank at opposite sides of the opening. As seen in FIG. 2 the loop is open at opposite ends and is of a size sufficient to accommodate endwise insertion of an article 7 (FIG. 3). After insertion of the article, the loop is shrunk to embrace the article tightly and hold it against the front face of the blank as shown in FIG. 3. As disclosed in said patent a wide variety of articles of different configurations may be packaged in this manner, the article 7 in FIG. 3 being used merely as a typical example. The film used may be any one of a Wide variety of shrinkable films which are in a tensilized condition; that is, the film is in a stretched condition, such that, upon exposure to heat or other activating medium, the film will tend to shink back to its initial or relaxed condition.

Referring to FIG, 1 there is shown a typical machine embodying the present invention. The machine provides means for guiding package blanks along a path determined by a pair of rails 8 (see also FIG. 4) mounted on three rods 10 secured in side frames 12. The rails have secured thereto angular guides 14 which retain the blanks in the desired path on the rails. The rails are adjustable along the rods 10 so as to accommodate blanks of different sizes. As shown in FIG. 7 the blanks 6 are connected by lands 16 to form a web so that movement of one blank along the rails 8 causes unitary movement of all blanks. Obviously, it is not necessary for the purposes of the present invention that the blanks be connected together in this manner and other means could be provided to introduce separated blanks to the machine so they may be operated upon in a series fashion.

The machine includes a pair of upright brackets 18 (FIG. 1) which are slotted at their upper ends to carry the spindle of a roll 20 of film 23 in web form. The film is fed from the roll and between a pressure roll 21 and a pair of driven rolls 22. The pressure roll 21 is arranged to rest on the rolls 22 when permitted to do so by hooks 24 carried on levers 25 pivoted at 26 and having at the opposite end a roll 28 over which the web of film rides. The levers are urged in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 29 so as to lift the pressure roll 21. The rolls 22 are driven in a counterclockwise direction to pull the film back toward the film roll 20 when the pressure roll 21 is permitted to rest on the film and rolls 22. The lever 25, rolls 28, 21 and 22 together with the spring 29 acts in a well known manner as a take-up mechanism which maintains the film under a light tension. The film strip also passes over a rod 30 extending between the side frames 12 and having guide collars 32 which lead the film strip into alignment with the openings 4 in the blank 6 (see also FIG. 5).

The machine is adapted to project loops of film through the opening 4 in the blanks. To this end a pair of fingers 40, 41 (FIGS. 1 and 6) are adjustably fixed on the brackets 42 and 43 (see also FIGS. 4 and respectively which extend inwardly from arms 44, 45 at opposite sides of the machine. The arms 44, 45 at one end are pivoted on the lower ends of levers 46 and 47 respectively which are mounted for oscillation on a rod 50. Adjacent to the brackets 42, 43, the arms 44, 45 are connected by links 52, 53 to levers 54, 55 pivoted on a rod 56. Lever 54 is provided with a roll 58 which engages a cam 60 fixed on a shaft 62 while lever 55 has a roll 61 riding on a cam 63 also fixed on shaft 62. The shaft has a sprocket 66 connected by a chain 67 to a suitable sprocket on a motor (not shown) so that the shaft is rotating in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1 while the machine is a operation.

Rotation of cam shaft 62 and cam 60 causes finger 40 to be moved from a position substantially above the the blanks on the rails 8 as seen in FIG. 1 down into engagement with the film 23, through an opening 4 in the underlying blank to the position shown in FIG. 6. During this movement, finger 41 remains in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. This action causes a film loop 2 to be projected by finger 40 through an opening 4 while finger 41 remains in and holds a loop previously formed. After the loop is formed, finger 41 is raised by continued rotation of shaft 62 and cam 63. For limiting the downward movement of the fingers, a roll 68 on each lever 54, 55 engages a cam piece 69 on the upper ends of levers 46, 47. The engaging surfaces of cam pieces 69 are shaped for a purpose which will presently appear.

After formation of each loop the blank is fed to a predetermined position to align the next blank opening 4 for passage of finger 41 during its next downward stroke. To this end the levers 46, 47 are connected by links 70 to levers 72, 73 respectively which are pivoted on a rod 74 extending between the side frames 12. Levers 72, 73 have rolls which engage cams 78, 79 (FIG. 5), respectively, also fixed on shaft 62. Rotation of cam 72 through the above links 70 and lever 46 causes the finger 40 to be advanced to the position previously occupied by finger 41 thus causing the blanks to be fed while the loop formed is maintained by the finger. At this time, roll 68 of lever 54 rides along the cam pieces 69 on lever 46, the cam piece being appropriately shaped to maintain finger 40 at the same level so as not to either stretch or release the loop formed. While finger 40 is feeding the blank, finger 41 is returned to the position previously occupied by finger 40 through lever 47, link 70, lever 73 and cam 79. The above cycle is repeated by continued rotation of the cam shaft to cause finger 40, 41 alternately to form film loops in successive blank openings 4 and to feed the blanks after the loops are formed,

To support the blanks adjacent to openings 4 during formation of the loops there is provided a unit 86 (FIGS. 1 and 6) having slanted bars 88 adapted to engage the underside of the blanks between the fingers 40, 41. The bars are carried at opposite sides by bolts 91 extending through slots in plates 92 (see especially FIG. 4). The plates 92 are carried by levers 94 fixed on a shaft 96 pivoted in the side frames, the levers being urged in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 97. An arm 98 fixed on shaft 96 rides on a cam 99 which controls movement of the unit 86. The cam 99 is fixed to a shaft 100 provided at one end with a sprocket 102 engaging the same drive chain 67 which drives the shaft 62. To maintain its orientation the plates 92 also are pivoted on links 104 which in turn are pivoted on the side frames at 106. The cam 99 is rotated at an appropriate speed to cause the bars 88, 89 to engage the underside of the blanks while a loop is being formed and to be retracted to a non-interfering position while the fingers 40, 41 are feeding the blanks. For limiting the upward movement of the unit 86 to properly support the blanks, a stop mechanism is provided comprising chains and an adjustable member 105 as best seen in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 7 it may be seen that the upper sides of the blanks are coated at 107 with a suitable bonding medium. The coating may be applied before introducing the blanks to the machine and be in dry condition adapted to be activated by heat or may be applied just prior to looping of the film and be in tacky condition. In any event each finger has associated therewith a pad 108 which acts when the finger is in its lowest position to press the film extending between openings firmly against the blank to which it is bonded by a precoated adhesive 107. At that time the blank is supported at its opposite side by the bars 88, 89. As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 the pads may be provided with heating units 110 for activating the coating 106 or to otherwise cause the film to be bonded to the blank.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be apparent that a variety of mechanisms and parts could be substituted for those described without departing from the scope of the invention which is limited only by the claim as follows:

I claim:

1. In a machine for forming package blanks each comprising a loop of film extending through an opening in the blank, means for guiding a series of blanks along a defined path, a pair of fingers, means supplying a web of film to said fingers, means for moving said fingers in opposite directions through said path for projecting successive loops of film through the openings in successive blanks, said moving means being adapted to hold one finger in said path while the other finger is projecting a film loop in a succeeding blank to prevent displacement of each loop while the next loop is being projected through the next blank, and means for reciprocating said fingers in opposite directions along said path for causing one finger to feed a blank along said path after projecting a loop therein while causing the other finger to return to its initial position after being moved out of said path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,406,610 10/1968 Golden.

2,788,625 4/1957 Larsen.

2,802,321 8/1957 Abbott 53198 X 2,956,362 10/1960 James 93--1.1 X 3,090,285 5 1963 Carlson.

3,286,835 11/1966 Crane.

3,138,077 6/1964 Bauder 9384 3,387,542 6/1968 Gartner 931.1 X

WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

